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Jazz flutists have never been an overly abundant breed. And that begs the question: Why? The instrument’s refined elegance and charm make it a natural partner of the piano, and musical encounters with flute are often of the intimate, peaceful kind. Yet, a quick survey of the jazz world reveals that the flute’s principal protagonists can all be counted on the fingers of one hand, with Hubert Laws and Herbie Mann by far the most prominent. Is François Richard one of these unconventional, non-conformist figures, a peculiar denizen of the jazz jungle.